The present embodiments relate to data processing and medical engineering. More specifically, the present embodiments relate to identifying possible causes of errors in a network having of a plurality of computer-based nodes, such as computer-based computed tomography (CT) systems, magnetic resonance imaging scanners, post-processing devices or other laboratory equipment.
In the medical engineering field, it is essential that an error that is identified within the network can be rectified as quickly as possible. Accordingly, it is a prerequisite to pinpoint the error as quickly as possible and with as much detail as possible.
There is a multiplicity of approaches for locating errors in a distributed computer-based system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,213 discloses a system and a method for testing specific levels (layers) of an interface (Open Systems Interconnection, OSI) in a telecommunications network. The testing is based on using a data transmission protocol simulator. An emulator is used in order to emulate a remote node in the network with regard to an application layer (of the ISO-OSI layer model). Modules of a network node that are to be tested are in this case simulated or emulated on another test network node.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,165 discloses a system, a method and a computer program product for testing network systems with regard to their performance. In a first act an expected applications traffic load on the network is determined. Using that as a basis, a test scenario is run which is based on the expected network loads. The test scenario takes into account current operating system conditions and different network protocols such as TCP/IP or APPC.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,213 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,165 relate to the testing of the network and do not perform a more detailed testing of the network nodes involved. In addition, a manual interaction takes place at both endpoints of a network connection. A network administrator must log in both at the source node of the network connection that is to be tested and at the destination node of said connection in order to trigger or initiate the execution of specific network tests.
As soon as a communication problem has been identified within a network, the test programs focus on the network problems and check in particular the proper operation of the network connections (using ICMP PING or other specific protocols, for example). The checking of the functionality of the nodes involved receives too little attention.